


Unrequited- Coulson/Pepper/Stark

by mage_girl



Series: Unrequited [1]
Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Angst, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-20
Updated: 2012-07-20
Packaged: 2017-11-10 08:13:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/464128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mage_girl/pseuds/mage_girl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Second in the Unrequited Series. 1/3</p><p>Phil Coulson has a mission to complete. His brief interlude with Pepper Potts won't distract him from what he came to do.</p><p>Even if it means setting his own feelings aside.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unrequited- Coulson/Pepper/Stark

**Author's Note:**

> Glorious, grateful thanks to aphrodite_mine for beta'ing this and helping me with transitions. Again. Buggers.
> 
> Much appreciated, hon....you're a life and sanity saver! <3

Phil Coulson was told he had just the face for being a SHIELD agent. Phil wasn’t deceived by the comment. He knew it meant that his hound dog face with soulful eyes and his easy going grin meant he was trustworthy upon first meeting. He could blend in a crowd because he was non descriptive. He didn’t have any illusions on that; when he met Tony Stark, he realized just how non descriptive he was compared to the man.

Phil normally didn’t mind. He used his shadow face to his best advantage, being able to get in and out of situations with people not sure if he was truly there or not. His quick wits and his aw shucks demeanor saved him more than once. 

But here he was at this gala event that Stark had thrown. He needed to talk to him about the top secret initiative Nick Fury was concocting and since he was Fury’s right hand man, his sharpest eyes, he was the one to fly to New York City to blend in at this glitzy overblown party. He decided that Fury simply did not need to know he was nursing a glass of bubbly (bubbles were making his nose twitch). Fury didn’t say he couldn’t drink tonight and if he had to stand there and watch these peacocks masquerading as human beings strut around, he was going to numb the pain.  
He startled when a hand tapped his shoulder gently. He looked around and there was Pepper Potts, smiling at him. She was dressed in a confection of silver and white and looked like an updated version of Glinda the Good Witch but with more taste. Diamonds sparked in her ears and at her wrist and she was holding a glass of champagne as well. Phil wondered if this meant she was bored to tears, too.

“Phil....I didn’t expect to see you tonight. I thought you were coming in tomorrow,” she said.  
“Well, I was told to talk to Tony tonight so here I am, dressed in my best penguin suit,” he laughed, indicating the black tuxedo he wore for tonight.

“You look wonderful. A very fine specimen of penguin,” she teased him with a twinkle in her eye.  
“I feel out of touch with these people. I don’t normally hang out with the rich and...rich,” he ended diplomatically.

“Tony has been trying to make his way over to you but he keeps getting snared by some hotshot upstart or another. He’s going to lose his patience soon and we know what happens when he loses his patience,” murmured Pepper with a quirk to her mouth.

Phil rolled his eyes and shuddered slightly. He didn't want a repeat of what happened last time Tony Stark lost his patience...it involved flailing and Pepper almost literally having to sit upon him. It helped that Phil was there at the time; he took Tony’s other arm and eased him down. The subtle twist to his joint didn’t hurt, either.

“I could make my way over to him. Rescue him again,” said Phil and he appreciated the snort of laughter from Pepper’s lips. 

“Oh....oh, I’m sure he’d appreciate hearing that,” she said, regaining her composure and taking another sip of champagne.

Phil looked over and sure enough, he could about see the steam coming out of Tony’s ears. For one thing, he was pinned between two men who were both talking to him at once. For another, the drink in his hand was empty. Phil wasn’t sure which would be the straw to break the camel’s back first. 

Tony gazed at both of them with an expression akin to that of a puppy sitting out in the rain.  
Phil sighed. “He’s out of alcohol.”

Pepper groaned. “That’s never a good sign.”

As one, they moved over in flanking positions, one on either side of the gentlemen. Phil did his best, aw, gee whiz expression as he dug an elbow into the ribs of the gentleman next to him. Pepper delicately trod on the insole of the man next to her with her razor thin heel. Both men jumped and glared at them. Phil smiled blandly.

“Excuse me, gentlemen, but I do believe my assistant and the butler have something they need to discuss with me,” said Tony, barely masking the relief in his voice.

Phil’s eyebrows raise. The butler?

The men excused themselves and left, one rubbing his side and the other limping slightly.  
Tony watched them both go and then said, “Nice footwork, Pepper. Agent....what brings you here?”

Phil kept his eyebrows raised. “The butler?”

“It’s the best I could come up with at the time. You are wearing a tuxedo, are you not? It wasn’t like I could say, ‘this man is an agent of a super secret agency in the federal government and now that I’ve told you, I’ll have to kill you’ now could I?” Tony smirked and Phil allowed himself the luxury of imagining himself elbowing Tony repeatedly.

Pepper trod on Tony’s insole, smiling angelically.

Tony yelped and jumped. “Damn it, Pepper! Those heels should be registered as lethal weapons.”

“And I haven’t even taken them off for the night. Consider that foreplay,” she said.

Phil coughed and looked around. “Maybe I should leave. I can explain to my boss that I was getting caught up in...things,” he ended lamely.

Pepper raised her eyebrows. “Things?”

“And stuff,” he said, his voice trailing off as Tony laughed.

“I’m going to get some alcohol and then I think I’ll start up the music,” announced Tony. He headed away from them.

“Start up the music?” Phil looked at Pepper for explanation.

“Yeah. He hired a DJ for this event. Thought that it would be good to introduce this crowd to new music.”

Phil looked over the guests with a leisurely eye. “I’d think this group would rather have some Bach than some Beyonce.”

Before Pepper could reply, there was a gigantic wave of noise that was the introduction to the first song that had people gasping in surprise, and then the music from the enormous speakers placed near the dance floor started playing the latest eurobeat/dubstep/whatever in earnest. This type of music had young people flailing their arms around like startled octopi. Phil watched as the arm flailing began and sighed. He’d much rather have had some jazz or big band music playing. This wasn’t his style.

Pepper tapped her foot to the rhythm and watched Tony with an indulgent look on her face. Tony looked over at them both and grinned, a mercurial lightening of his features that made him look like Pan. Phil thought that was apt as he was playing music, swaying to the beat, with a newly filled drink in one hand. 

Phil hid a grin with his hand as he imagined Tony with goat feet and horns on his head. He watched as Tony looked through the music selection on a floating screen to the left side of him and then tap something in. As the song faded, another began and this one had Phil’s eyebrows go up in cautious approval. It was a remix of an old Supremes song and his own foot began tapping as the music dipped and swayed around him. Tony caught his eye and made motions with his hands. Phil frowned as he watched and then rolled his eyes; of course Tony was orchestrating some mischief. He was pantomiming Phil and Pepper dancing, his hands expressing themselves like birds squabbling. Phil’s lips twitched with wry humour.

Pepper sighed. ‘He’s not going to quit until we dance together. He wants us to have a good time,’ she told him.

Phil looked back at Tony with surprise and saw the beginnings of the puppy dog in the rain look on his face, beginning with his eyes which were looking almost as soulful as his own. ‘Oh, for...’ and he pivoted neatly, taking Pepper’s hand in his.

Pepper smiled. ‘I thought you’d never ask,’ she grinned at him and Phil grinned back. He swept her into a foxtrot that went well with the beat. Pepper kept up just fine, her hand firm in his as he swept her around the dance floor under the benevolent gaze of Tony.

The song faded out and another song began; it was a sweet melody that evoked quieter times. The crowd’s chatter faded as the horn section from the opening instrumental swelled, and they rocked back and forth to the music playing from the speakers. Phil slowed down until he was doing a sedate two step with Pepper, one hand on her back, the other holding her other hand gently within his. Pepper sighed softly and rested her head on his shoulder. Phil’s arm tightened around her waist and pulled her in closer. Her scent was making his head spin. He had in his arms one of the most beautiful, smart, witty, charming women he’d ever met. It was the sweetest of agonies.

Phil had a weakness for smart, sensible, independent women. His mother was formidable in his eyes and he grew up admiring her and how she overcame every adversity. When he met Pepper, he knew she wasn’t just a pretty face. When he observed how she worked with Tony and what she did for him, he decided she was a saint in disguise. She had the strength of will disguised under civility and manners that most people missed. Her snark was startling but not surprising; nobody could work for Stark and not have a wicked sense of irony. Phil found that he adored her and was content to watch her control one of the most powerful companies in the world. 

He knew better than to confess his feelings to her. He’d seen the looks between her and Tony and could feel the heat that flared brighter than the arc reactor when they were standing next to each other. He wondered when they’d finally get around to admitting their feelings for each other. As for himself, he’d long been resigned to keeping his own feelings under wraps. He didn’t want to endanger the delicate balance between Pepper and Tony. And he wasn’t really keen on having his feelings on display for all the world to see. Phil Coulson was, at heart, a discreet gentleman, emphasis on gentleman. Double emphasis on discreet.

He spun Pepper around in an intricate circle that had her laughing when she was back in his arms. ‘So, tell me, Phil....any ladies in your life?’ she asked, putting her hand on his arm and squeezing it in delight.

‘Ladies?’ he repeated, arching a wry eyebrow.

‘Oh, don’t play humble with me. I bet you have them lined up, waiting for you to ask them out. Or take them dancing,’ she added, her feet doing a neat one-two movement.

Phil took a deep breath and looked down at her, studied her flushed, beautiful face and memorized it so he could take that image out later and remember it. In the meantime, in his head and to his heart, he whispered, ‘just you, Pepper.’ But out loud, he shrugged slightly.  
‘Well, there’s this cellist in Portland...’ he made up on the fly, affecting that aw shucks look on his face that had her smiling at him in encouragement.

‘Portland? A cellist? My oh my....’ she said.

‘She’s very nice,’ he said, and sighed in relief when Tony appeared at their side, his hand held out. 

‘I believe Mr. Stark would like a dance,’ Phil said smoothly, transferring her hand over to Tony’s who nodded a thank you to him.

‘Oh! Oh...alright, then,’ said Pepper and there was that tone in her voice, that softening of her face and eyes and voice that Phil picked up again. 

‘Thanks, Agent Coulson,’ muttered Tony. ‘After, let’s meet in the library, alright?’

Phil nodded his head briskly, stepping back from the small moment in time that belonged to him and Pepper.

He watched as Tony spun her out onto the dance floor as only he knew how--flashily, grandly--and smiled down at her, his eyes dark with emotion. Pepper had a wide smile on her face, her diamonds flashing under the light as she circled him, her dress belling out about her in a lovely arc.

His heart ached and he cast his eyes towards the floor, willing his face to show no emotion on it. Years of practice had made this an artform, and when he looked up, the only things people could see were the easy smile on his face and the interested twinkle in his eyes as he glanced around.  
He set the champagne glass down on a tray, gently, and after looking one last time at Pepper who was swaying in Tony’s arms with delight on her face, he walked out of the room. The music grew fainter as he went along and he entered the library with a grateful sigh of relief. It was quiet here, nobody was in this room, and he didn’t have to keep his face blank for anyone’s scrutiny.

He jumped, therefore, when Jarvis spoke to him, worry and concern in his tone. ‘Agent Coulson, are you alright?’

‘I’m fine, Jarvis. Just...a lot on my mind,’ said Coulson, trying to get over the lingering sense of foolishness he felt every time he spoke aloud to thin air and what seemed to be no one around to hear.

There was silence, and then Jarvis said, carefully, his tone cautious. ‘I noted out in the ballroom you seemed distressed. After dancing with Ms. Potts.’

Coulson sank into a chair with a groan. Of course he’d forgotten that Jarvis monitored everything with cameras that were placed in strategic places throughout Tony’s home. Jarvis kept an eye on all the doings on and was Tony’s own sharp eyes when he needed them. Coulson, in his emotional state and in his hurry to set things on a high shelf in his head, forgot about that.  
‘I...’ he didn’t know what more to say. 

There was silence and then Jarvis said, gently, ‘Sir has enough information from other sources. I don’t believe he’ll miss a few seconds of video with you in it.’ There was another pause, and then Jarvis spoke, his tone as compassionate as an AI unit could be. ‘There will be nothing for him to see that he isn’t aware of already. And, I do believe you have a meeting with him later on. That will occupy his time,’ he ended, dryly and Coulson barked laughter in agreement.

‘Thank you, Jarvis,’ he said, quietly.

‘You’re most welcome, Agent Coulson. Do let me know if you need anything else.’

There was silence and Phil breathed in deep and let out his breath slowly, his body shuddering from pent up tension. That was...that was good. He appreciated Jarvis’ subtlety and empathy. Empathy. His estimation of Tony went up a notch or two; he’d never guessed that was part of Jarvis but somebody had to have written it in his code. And the only person who tinkered on Jarvis or any of the other robots was Tony. 

So that was taken care of, the last piece of evidence that could be used to support his feelings about Pepper. As to his heart and his emotions, he’d tell himself that he wasn’t the man she wanted. He’d remind himself that Tony Stark, despite all outward appearances, desperately needed someone who would love him and stay with him. He knew Pepper was invested and had no plans on leaving if she could help it. Phil hoped that it would never happen as it’d devastate Tony.

He took another deep breath, let it out, and then another and another after that, willing his body to relax with each exhalation. He was here to do a job, here at Director Fury’s request with information that Tony would find interesting. Or infuriating. Or possibly, both, knowing him. Phil’s mouth quirked upwards. Probably would infuriate and interest Tony and that was going to be fun to observe. Tony wasn’t one to play his interest or his emotions close to his chest. Phil took out the thin tablet that he’d put in the inner pocket of his tuxedo jacket and thumbed it on. It glowed at him as it booted up. He typed in the passwords to gain access and the directory’s icon rested below his thumb. With a last sigh, he touched it briefly and waited patiently until the word documents were listed. 

Phil allowed himself one last memory of Pepper smiling up at him as she rested in his arms, then he determinedly set that aside. He had work to review before Tony joined him in the library.


End file.
